Forfeited land along Mississippi River offered to refinery

The Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to offer a parcel of tax-forfeited land in St. Paul Park to the St. Paul Park Refining Co.

The parcel is near the previous location of the JAR Bridge on the Washington County side of the Mississippi River in St. Paul Park. The JAR Bridge and land abutting the bridge had been forfeited to the county for the non-payment of property taxes.

After the JAR Bridge was removed, the land abutting the bridge was sold to the St. Paul Park Refining Co.

The parcel offered for sale is slightly less than 3.95 acres, has more than 150 feet of shoreline and is completely surrounded by land owned by refining company. Because the land borders public waters, the county needed legislative approval to sell the parcel. That approval was granted in the 2012 legislative session and specifies the sale would be to an adjacent landowner. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has determined that the site is not appropriate for DNR management.

The County Board adopted a minimum sale price of $29,000, which reflects the value assigned by the County Assessor’s Office and is similar to the value of like property currently under the refinery ownership in the area.

The county will notify the adjacent landowner of the sale, the minimum sale price and sale terms. If the property owner is interested in acquiring the property, it will be required to submit a sealed bid in the form of a check for at least the minimum sale price.